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The Age of Exploration and the Atlantic Slave Trade Study Guide



Multiple Choice
Identify the choice that best completes the statement or answers the question.
 

 1. 

Although Ferdinand Magellan actually died in the Philippines, his crew was the first to do which of the following?
a.
circumnavigate the globe
c.
explore the land called Brazil
b.
sail around the southern tip of Africa
d.
find a Northeast passage to Asia
 

 2. 

The ultimate goal of early English, Dutch, and French explorers was to
a.
colonize North America.
c.
find a shorter southern route to Africa.
b.
find a passage to Asia.
d.
find gold and silver in the Americas.
 

 3. 

Sailors could calculate their location based on the position of the sun and stars in relation to the horizon with the
a.
compass.
c.
caravel.
b.
astrolabe.
d.
nautical map.
 

 4. 

These were huge estates in the Americas that grew cash crops such as sugar cane and tobacco.
a.
fiefs
c.
plantations
b.
crop farms
d.
manors
 

 5. 

Planters in the Americas began to use African slaves for labor because
a.
African slaves were less expensive than Native American slaves.
b.
Aztecs refused to work on plantations.
c.
they believed Native Americans were not human.
d.
disease had killed millions of Native Americans.
 

 6. 

Many Native Americans helped Hernan Cortés because
a.
they had been converted to Christianity.
b.
they resented paying tribute to the Aztec Emperor.
c.
they had intermarried with Spanish explorers.
d.
the Aztec rituals were unpopular with those they had conquered.
 

 7. 

Which of the following explorer’s thought he had reached the Asian islands known as the Indies when he had actually reached the Caribbean Islands?
a.
Pedro Cabral
c.
Amerigo Vespucci
b.
Henry the Navigator
d.
Christopher Columbus
 

 8. 

Many Negro spirituals, such as Wade in the Water,  were developed as a way to
a.
escape from plantations using directions hidden in the songs.
c.
pass the time while working on plantations.
b.
blend American and African culture.
d.
help African children learn to speak English.
 
 
nar001-1.jpg
 

 9. 

According to the map titled “The Slave Trade,” the greatest number of African slaves were taken to
a.
Brazil.
c.
the French West Indies.
b.
British North America.
d.
the British West Indies.
 

 10. 

According to the map titled “The Slave Trade,” the British imported approximately how many slaves to their colonies?
a.
9 million
c.
2.1 million
b.
3.6 million
d.
1.7 million
 

 11. 

According to the map titled “The Slave Trade,” where were most slave forts located?
a.
the west coast of Africa
c.
the Middle Passage
b.
Brazil
d.
the Cape of Good Hope
 
 
“The stench of the hold. . . was so intolerably loathsome, that it was dangerous to remain there for any time. . . The closeness of the place, and the heat of the climate. . . almost suffocated us. . . The shrieks of the women, and the groans of the dying, rendered the whole scene of horror almost inconceivable.”
—Olaudah Equiano, The Interesting Narrative of the Life of Olaudah Equiano, 1789
 

 12. 

In the passage by Olaudah Equiano, he describes
a.
an encomienda.
c.
plantation life.
b.
a slave ship.
d.
indentured servitude.
 

 13. 

What was an effect of the Columbian Exchange?
a.
The exchange of foods and animals had a dramatic impact on later societies.
b.
Llamas began to be used as beasts of burden.
c.
Triangular trade became less profitable.
d.
Native American diseases destroyed European populations.
 

 14. 

The largest number of captured Africans were used as
a.
skilled craft workers.
c.
ship hands.
b.
workers on Caribbean sugar plantations.
d.
domestic servants.
 

 15. 

This played a key role in the Age of Exploration because it allowed sailors to know which direction was North at all times.
a.
compass
c.
textile
b.
caravel
d.
astrolabe
 

 16. 

What is the term used for the global exchange of plants, animals, and diseases between Europe and the Americas?
a.
Triangle Trade
c.
European Exchange
b.
African Diaspora
d.
Columbian Exchange
 

 17. 

How did the Renaissance contribute to the Age of Exploration?
a.
by emphasizing the importance of converting people to Christianity
b.
by persuading Europeans that the pursuit of wealth was all-important
c.
by awakening a spirit of discovery and innovation in Europe
d.
by fostering a belief in the importance of working as a group
 

 18. 

The Underground Railroad was
a.
a system used by slaves to gain freedom by escaping to Canada.
c.
a system of tunnels dug from the South to the North in America.
b.
a secret society of slaves that rebelled against their masters.
d.
a railway that only allowed slaves to travel on it.
 

 19. 

Which of the following was an  impact of the Atlantic Slave Trade on the “New World?”
a.
the Aztecs gained power over European colonists
c.
firearms led to increased violence
b.
slave labor helped colonies thrive
d.
generations of African leaders disappeared
 

 20. 

A common misconception about slavery is that
a.
Southern plantation owners hated all Africans.
c.
all answers are correct.
b.
most African slaves worked within the English colonies.
d.
Northern colonists wanted to free all of the slaves.
 

True/False
Indicate whether the statement is true or false.
 

 21. 

Indentured servants from Europe were “slaves” in North America before the Africans.
 

 22. 

Slave labor declined in the Americas as a result of the Age of Exploration.
 

 23. 

Explorer Amerigo Vespucci concluded that the land discovered by Columbus was not part of Asia, but a new land.
 

 24. 

The American colonies would not have survived without the work of thousands of African slaves.
 

 25. 

The first African slaves were captured by European colonists.
 

 26. 

Some enslaved Africans coped with inhumane conditions by trying to keep their cultural traditions alive.
 

 27. 

The Age of Exploration was driven in large part by the search for wealth.
 

 28. 

Unlike the Spanish, the Portuguese did not enslave Native Americans.
 

 29. 

The first country to launch large-scale voyages of exploration was Spain.
 

 30. 

Spanish colonization of the Americas resulted in the deaths of millions of Native Americans from overwork, epidemic diseases, and mistreatment on plantations.
 

Short Answer
 

 31. 

Draw two of the slides from the presentation in class using the space below.  Using complete sentences, write a caption that explains the drawing and how the drawing connects to the Atlantic Slave Trade and what you learned about it in class.  Please be specific with your information.  (2 points each)
 

 32. 

Using the space below, draw a diagram of the Triangle Trade, making sure to label the places linked by the three “legs” of the triangle and what was traded between the three different locations.  Please be as specific as possible.  (6 points)
 



 
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